In 1985, Hurricane Gloria was the last major hurricane to hit Connecticut: Waves from Long Island Sound break over a car stopped by power lines brought down by the tree on New Haven Avenue in Milford, Conn. as Hurricane Gloria struck the Connecticut shoreline. less

In 1985, Hurricane Gloria was the last major hurricane to hit Connecticut: Waves from Long Island Sound break over a car stopped by power lines brought down by the tree on New Haven Avenue in Milford, Conn. as ... more

Photo: UPI, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 29, 1985 - A boat owned by Lynne and Bill Fleck of Ridgefield is hoisted up by a crane off of Calf Pasture beach, where is washed ashore during Hurricane Gloria. Theodora Litsios

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 29, 1985 - A boat owned by Lynne and Bill Fleck of Ridgefield is hoisted up by a crane off of Calf Pasture beach, where is washed ashore during Hurricane Gloria. Theodora Litsios

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - People try to disassemble a dock Friday morning in the driving rain, just as Gloria struck.

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - People try to disassemble a dock Friday morning in the driving rain, just as Gloria struck.

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Oct. 5, 1985 - Jon Saunders unloads for the 4th time. Saunders, a Westport resident used his Volvo station wagon to transport the brush left on his yard from Hurricane Gloria. In the background is a dump truck the city was using to haul brush to Sherwood Island. Glenn Osmundson less

Hurricane Gloria Oct. 5, 1985 - Jon Saunders unloads for the 4th time. Saunders, a Westport resident used his Volvo station wagon to transport the brush left on his yard from Hurricane Gloria. In the ... more

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - The Didisheim residence, a 200 year old home, was damaged when a large old tree in their front yard fell onto the house. Theodora Litsios

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - The Didisheim residence, a 200 year old home, was damaged when a large old tree in their front yard fell onto the house. Theodora Litsios

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - Over 200 persons were sheltered in the Stamford High School Gymnasium.

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - Over 200 persons were sheltered in the Stamford High School Gymnasium.

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27 1985: This tree which damaged the house in the background was cut up and carted to the street by neighbors of the Ridgeway St. house in Springdale. Tom Ryan

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27 1985: This tree which damaged the house in the background was cut up and carted to the street by neighbors of the Ridgeway St. house in Springdale. Tom Ryan

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 26, 1985 - Shelter manager Jeff O'Donnell left and Leslie Cavaliere, who will be a shelter manager at one of the new shelters, set up cots in the Stamford High School gym. Both from Stamford. Glenn Osmundson. less

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 26, 1985 - Shelter manager Jeff O'Donnell left and Leslie Cavaliere, who will be a shelter manager at one of the new shelters, set up cots in the Stamford High School gym. Both from ... more

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 30, 1985 - Baltimore Gas and Electric employees work for Northeast Utilities putting the lines back in order on Long Neck Point Road in Darien. Tom Ryan.

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 30, 1985 - Baltimore Gas and Electric employees work for Northeast Utilities putting the lines back in order on Long Neck Point Road in Darien. Tom Ryan.

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27 or 28, 1985 Neighbors come out to see the damage on High Ridge Road above Briar Brae Rd. where a tree knocked a telephone pole across High Ridge Road.

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27 or 28, 1985 Neighbors come out to see the damage on High Ridge Road above Briar Brae Rd. where a tree knocked a telephone pole across High Ridge Road.

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 30, 1985 - The Smiths of Brookside Road, Darien were still dealing with the results of the hurricane. The Smiths have temporarily covered the roof of their house with a large tarpelin until the tree which fell on the house could be removed and repairs made. less

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 30, 1985 - The Smiths of Brookside Road, Darien were still dealing with the results of the hurricane. The Smiths have temporarily covered the roof of their house with a large tarpelin ... more

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - Weed Ave along the Holly Pond which flooded. Kids who had a day off from school use the middle of the road for a walkway protected by police who warned cars away. Tom Ryan

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - Weed Ave along the Holly Pond which flooded. Kids who had a day off from school use the middle of the road for a walkway protected by police who warned cars away. Tom Ryan

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 30, 1985 - Marjorie Wyler of Danbury Ave in Westport (near Compo Beach) attends to her lawn Monday after town work crews cut up branches that had fallen. Wyler has lived there seasonally for 40 years. ...Geoff Forester. less

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 30, 1985 - Marjorie Wyler of Danbury Ave in Westport (near Compo Beach) attends to her lawn Monday after town work crews cut up branches that had fallen. Wyler has lived there ... more

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - Adam Wansiewicz, with head down, and his brother Kieth, in rear of boat, watch over it for their parents who send for help. The boat washed ashore after it broke away from its mooring just off Bell Island. The Wansiewicz are from Westport, CT. Wildfire Glenn Osmundson less

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - Adam Wansiewicz, with head down, and his brother Kieth, in rear of boat, watch over it for their parents who send for help. The boat washed ashore after it broke away from ... more

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Sept. 27, 1985 - In the aftermath of Hurricane Gloria and a flooded Holly Pond, kids who had a day off from school walk in the middle of Weed Avenue protected by police who warned cars away. Tom Ryan

Sept. 27, 1985 - In the aftermath of Hurricane Gloria and a flooded Holly Pond, kids who had a day off from school walk in the middle of Weed Avenue protected by police who warned cars away. Tom Ryan

Photo: File Photo, ST

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Damage to trees and wires from Hurricane Gloria

Damage to trees and wires from Hurricane Gloria

Photo: File Photo / Connecticut Post

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Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - Adam Wansiewicz, with head down, and his brother Keith, in rear of boat, watch over it for their parents who send for help. The boat washed ashore after it broke away from its mooring just off Bell Island. The Wansiewicz are from Westport, CT. Wildfire Glenn Osmundson less

Hurricane Gloria Sept. 27, 1985 - Adam Wansiewicz, with head down, and his brother Keith, in rear of boat, watch over it for their parents who send for help. The boat washed ashore after it broke away from its ... more

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Hurricane Gloria swept through Connecticut on Sept. 27, 1985, with waves from Long Island Sound breaking over a car stuck under power lines in Milford.

Hurricane Gloria swept through Connecticut on Sept. 27, 1985, with waves from Long Island Sound breaking over a car stuck under power lines in Milford.

A boat is tossed out of the water during Hurricane Gloria, in September 1985.

A boat is tossed out of the water during Hurricane Gloria, in September 1985.

Photo: Contributed Photo / United Illuminating Co.

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30 years ago, Gloria blew into town

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Hurricane Gloria, which struck the state with devastating force 30 years ago Sunday, Sept. 27, 1985, ended a 30-year period of relative quiet from tropical storms.

It came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane, the third time it had crossed over land in its hop-skip-and-jump pattern, bringing strong winds and salt spray, and knocking out power for a week in the hardest-hit areas.

Gloria caused heavy damage to homes and businesses along the shore, particularly in a swath from Westport to Milford. There were 184,000 United Illuminating Co. customers left without power.

“It was the most damage I had ever seen,” said Joe Zorpette, a United Illuminating Co. field engineer who retired in 1997. “We went out and everything was gone. The poles were just gone. We needed maps to see where the poles were.”

As Hurricane Gloria churned up the waters of the North Atlantic, 380,000 people along the coast from North Carolina to Connecticut were evacuated, according to a web page on the storm created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Access the page here.

Overall, the storm caused about $900 million damage along the East Coast, or about $1.94 billion in current value, according to the National Weather Service, and was responsible for eight fatalities. The storm was the first significant system to strike the northeastern U.S. since Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and the first major storm to affect Connecticut New directly since Hurricane Donna in 1960.

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There wasn’t as much rain with Gloria as the area received from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 or Hurricane Sandy a year later, but the fine mist of salt water blown by the storm shorted out many electrical components and took some equipment off-line. It nearly knocked out the Bridgeport substation; washing the salt off the equipment saved the substation from going off-line, officials said.

“Salt on insulators and open copper conductors — not a good thing,’’ said Alex Boutsioulis, UI’s principal engineer for asset planning. “It contaminates everything and basically causes a short.’’

Boutsioulis coordinated UI’s response team in the utility’s eastern division during and after Hurricane Gloria. He said Friday that there was maybe a day and a half to prepare for the storm, compared to up to five days’ warning for hurricanes now. Weather forecasting has improved dramatically over the past 30 years, the engineer said.

Forecasters had warned of a much bigger storm — Hurricane Gloria at one time was expected to reach Connecticut as a Category 3 —making it one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the state and putting it on par with the infamous “Long Island Express’’ hurricane of 1938.

“It weakened considerably before it got here, and we had some good luck too,’’ said UI spokesman Edward Crowder. “Gloria came at low tide, which helped out a lot. And a new CEO, George Edwards had just come on, and he had worked for Georgia Power. So he was able to get some crews from Georgia Power to come up here and help out.’’

Boutsioulis recalled working 16-hour days in the aftermath of Gloria. “After a few days, we were able to cut back— to 12 hours.

“I lived in Cheshire and every night my wife would ask when the power was coming back on,’’ he said. But the engineer did not have any information about that — Cheshire is served by a different power company.